Advisory Council

Thabiti is one of the pastors for Anacostia River Church. He has served as an elder and pastor in churches in NC, DC and the Cayman Islands. After a few years as a practicing Muslim, Thabiti was converted under the preaching of the gospel in the Washington, DC area. He is the author of several books, including: Exalting Jesus in Luke; Reviving the Black Church; The Decline of African-American Theology; and The Faithful Preacher. He blogs regularly at The Front Porch and Pure Church.

Andy is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. Andy serves on the governing boards of Fuller Theological Seminary and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. For more than ten years he was an editor and producer at Christianity Today, including serving as executive editor from 2012 to 2016. His books include The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place; Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing; Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, and Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling.

Christina holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University, a MS degree from the University of Rochester in Family Therapy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Hampton University. She serves as the Dean for Intercultural Student Development at Calvin College. As a Certified Cultural Intelligence facilitator, public speaker, and mental health therapist, Christina is often contacted by churches to consult about both diversity and mental health issues.

Ingrid is Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Old Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, IL. Her Ph.D. is in Theological Studies, with concentration in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL. She speaks at conferences and churches on topics including identity in Christ, evil and suffering, women in the Bible, forgiveness, the goodness of God, and leadership. She is a widow, mother, and grandmother.

Greg serves InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA as the Senior Assistant to the President for External Partnerships & Executive Office Communications. Greg is the author of Your Mind’s Mission (an Urbana Onward book), The Kingdom of God (a LifeGuide Bible Study), and a contributing author to Following Jesus without Dishonoring Your Parents (a discipleship book for Asian Americans) (all IVP), Telling the Truth (a book on postmodern evangelism published by Zondervan), and Voices of Conflict & Voices of Hope (a two-volume study of American teenagers published by Adama Books).

Bethany Jenkins is vice president of forums and content at The Veritas Forum, a contributor at The Gospel Coalition, and a senior fellow at The King's College. She has also worked in Congress, at the State Department, on Wall Street and in Big Law. She received her BA from Baylor and JD from Columbia. Bethany lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has been a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York for 14 years.

Esau received his PhD in New Testament from the University of the St Andrews in 2017. He currently serves as the assistant Professor of New Testament at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, NY. He is an ordained Priest in the Anglican Church in North America where he directs the Anglican Multi-Ethnic Network, an organization dedicated to raising up diverse leadership and churches for the province. Esau is one of the organizers of the Call and Response Conference, an event that centers Black voices from across the church with the goal of celebrating the Black Christian witness and equipping for the church for future ministry.

Russell serves as a full-time public theologian for Christianity Today and leads their Public Theology Project. Prior to this, he was president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also served as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he taught theology and ethics. He served as Distinguished Professor of Christian Ethics at Southern Seminary, and as a visiting professor of ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His book Onward: Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel was named Christianity Today’s Book of the Year in 2016.

Michelle is Executive Minister of Make and Deepen Disciples for the Evangelical Covenant Church. Prior to this role, Michelle served as Pastor of Christian Formation and Mission at Highrock Covenant Church in the Boston area.  She has also served in leadership for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and worked as an investment banker for Goldman, Sachs & Co.  Michelle earned an M.Div. and Th.M. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and completed spiritual direction training at Boston College.